What we are doing - Introduction

BEN works to enable full ethnic participation in the built and natural environment. We are positioned as a catalyst for change. The services, resources and expertise within the mainstream are enormous. There is no way in which a parallel provision can be set up. In order to benefit fully, ethnic participation must therefore be enabled to access everything that the mainstream has to offer. We do not intend to provide a permanent service for ethnic communities. All our projects are developmental and strategic. On the one hand we reach out to ethnic communities in order to stimulate participation. On the other hand we work to support mainstream organisations so that they may gain the necessary awareness and skills to work effectively with ethnic communities in a socially and culturally relevant way. The ultimate measure of our success is to do ourselves out of a job!

Raising awareness about the significance of the contribution of ethnic communities

Stimulating and supporting ethnic participation

Supporting mainstream organisations to work with ethnic communities through training and consultancy

You can follow our work under various headings in this and other sections, covering conference work and consultations, input into policy and consultations, the publication of discussion papers addressing current issues, the development of this website to attend to the needs of the BEN Network - the provision of information re grants, etc. Work with us to develop the site; let us know what else you would like to see here.